mortalisfandomcom-20200214-history
Arcane Theory
Overview Within the world of Mortalis, magic is real. Magic is dangerous. Magic is mysterious. Magic predates the history of man, and possibly the world. Its origins are not known, but its powers are. In the time Mortalis takes place, magic is heretical; it is feared; it has been stamped out, and remains an avenue of study for those of vile intent, heretical lineage, or a lust for forbidden knowledge. The above, of course, is the belief of the general public: though there are many practicers of magic with nefarious intent, others are just trying to get by and survive in this dangerous world. Disciplines of Arcana Arcana is classified into two categories, with several specializations and one shared subcategory. Arcana Pragma * Arcana Pragma is the category of magic focused on manipulating and shaping the material world with a variety of applications. * The most common renditions of Arcana Pragma are various forms of Elementalism, Necromancy, Telekinetics, and Augmentus. * Many have tried to apply Arcana Pragma in a combative or military fashion; many have died trying to do so. It’s rather difficult to concentrate on a fireball whilst being charged by cavalry; it is better used on a small scale combat basis, i.e. one on one fights. * Arcana Pragma tends to be the most physically taxing. Arcana Meta * Arcana Meta is the category of magic focused on schools of thought and abstract concepts. * The most common renditions of Arcana Meta exist in the forms of Telepathy, Illusion, Farsight, and to a much rarer degree Dreamscaping and Puppeteering. * Arcana Meta when utilized invasively is best described as a battle of wills, pitting mind against mind. For the inexperienced, unprepared, and irresolute, it typically results in failure. * Masters of Arcana Meta are best described as having a psyche made of spring-steel. Flexible, and seemingly always able to return to their original state, but once ruined, the damage is irreparable. Arcana Nefasta * Arcana Nefasta combines particular disciplines found within Meta and Pragma that are viewed by the magical community as unethical or dangerous. * The most common disciplines classified as Arcana Nefasta are necromancy, augmentus, puppeteering, dreamscaping and vessel creation. * Many practitioners of Arcana Nefasta are considered nefarious due to the deeds involved with its casting, however other practitioners are branded as evil by society, rather than by any personal action or intent. * Some practitioners are unstable mages continuing to practice despite deep psychological trauma or disturbance. These individuals are incredibly anomalous. * There is nothing inherently corruptive or evil about Arcane Nefasta: a necromancer does not become cruel simply from learning to raise the dead. Cost and Criteria of Magic Casting magic has several criteria behind it, and a cost associated with casting: The magician must be mentally healthy and developed. * Casting magic typically requires considerable amounts of focus. Distractions and unchecked emotions may cause a cancellation or “misfire”. * Typically the bar for an individual’s first cast is between 18 and 20. Even though a child may study the theory of magic, they are unable to apply it until reaching a point of mental maturity and stability. * Mental and psychological damage and deterioration can inhibit or completely destroy a person’s magical capabilities. This can be as minor as fear and stress impairing a spell to chronic PTSD or dementia nullifying a mage or rendering him/her unstable. The magician must be physically healthy and have proper nutrition. * Magic draws directly from an individual’s well-being, typically described as “essence”, and can be physically taxing. * If a spell is cast by someone inexperienced, sick, elderly, or in otherwise poor health, it may exhaust the caster, possibly even causing them to faint, or at worst, die. * The casting of magic burns a considerable amount of calories. Many mages engage in carb heavy diets and have a considerable sweet tooth, often carrying sugary or starchy foods with them to help recuperate after casting. This is only sustainable for the short term - mages need to maintain a healthy diet like anyone else. The magician must understand the fundamentals of magical theory. * Perhaps the least straightforward requirement, a prospective magician must hone their understanding of one of the overarching categories of Arcana. * Fundamental theories typically require intensive bouts of research within the material world in the search to manipulate and understand it, or require the ponderous meditation and analysis of the abstract and immaterial. * Most aspiring magicians seeking this knowledge normally have magical family members or friends tutor them. It’s also common for aspirants to join pagan cults or search for forbidden texts in an attempt to self-teach. This education is slow, and less than efficient. * Some magical colleges and temples exist in countries far beyond, but many have no dealings with anyone in the region. It is rumoured some competent mages pass on their knowledge locally, but if true, it’s doubtful they would openly recruit aspirants out of fear of persecution. Casting Casting magic is done through a variety of ways as a means of focusing and manifesting one’s will into their magic. The vast majority of casting is simply an associative ritual performed for the sake of the caster. Very few are capable of casting without any sort of visual, kinetic, or auditory element. Many mages employ multiple forms of spellcasting. Writing & Runes * Writing is one of the few casting methods that is inherently magical. Instead of focusing a spell into immediate actions, a mage instead wills the spell and activation conditions into the writing, such as specifying a time, or when someone touches the rune. * The extra stipulations typically incur a higher essence cost for the same relative spell power. * Runes will progressively lose power with the spell’s effects diminishing in strength until there is no longer any essence, but the writing typically remains until washed or eroded away by nature. * A rune actively in effect will lose essence at a considerably higher pace than one that has been written to have passive nonfunctional state until conditions have been met. This can be the difference between a rune lasting hours versus days. Example: *The mage would take the chalk from his pouch, and would bend down to the ground. He would open his grimoire, referencing the sigil for his beacon spell, and would carefully draw it out. He would leave a vessel to power the rune, intent on returning to the location at a later date.* Voice * The most common method of spellcasting, and easiest to learn, typically accomplished by mentally associating particular words or phrases with a desired immediate effect. * It is commonly advised for mages to use gibberish and made up language in lieu of commonly spoken words. This is to prevent accidental casting should spell usage become second nature. * Should a person be vocally disabled, they may learn to re-associate vocal spells with whatever utterances are possible, but such habit breaking and reforming is incredibly difficult. Example: *The novice would glare at his sparring partner in anger at his humiliating defeat; with thoughts of hellfire and fury coursing through his mind, he cast aside the spell his instructor had taught, simply screaming “burn!” at his foe. An uncontrolled fire spewed forth from his gaping maw, fierce as a dragon. Alas he could not relish his display of power; bystanders watched as the caster’s listless body fell, nothing but a charred husk of a head, scorched by uncontrolled flame.* Physical Movement * Handled by manipulating one’s body in a motion associated with an immediate effect, such forms of spellcasting were made popular with pagans, but have remained popular past then. * Typically requiring the lowest cost of essence to generate, this is mostly because essence is already being committed in the form of physical exertion. That being said, excessive movement would certainly tire someone out should someone associate a spell with a complex series of movements. * Wands, Staffs, and Staves are often employed for a form of casting often called “air-rune”. The methodology is popular with mages possessing many spells that require more accuracy than mere hand gestures. Such tools do not increase the raw power of a spell (as they are essentially just sticks of wood/metal), but can help with precision and have the benefit of being able to double as a melee weapon. * Physical disabilities can impair the casting of these spells similar to vocal disabilities. Also similar to oral casting, a mage can repurpose their body to accommodate for lost limbs. * A wand or staff may be imbued with a vessel that a mage may draw essence from when casting, however such objects are incredibly rare, ownership of one immediately outs you as a mage, and other mages frown upon vessel users. Example: The novice spellcaster would hold her wand, in her hand; this would be one of the last practical exams before she would move on in life as a true mage. The objective was simple; cast a spell without your grimoire. The novice would breathe a long sigh as she walked upon the stage, wand in hand. With a false confidence she would twirl her wand, as if conducting a band of bards, but all to no avail. She would do the actions more erratically and frantically with every attempt, her mind wracked by anxiety. The novice did not pass her exam. Meditation * Few magicians are capable of proper meditation, however such casting is common among Meta-Arcanists. * Meditation exists as absolute will and concentration. Many describe it as an “out of body” experience, and perhaps the most efficient way to engage in actions such as telepathy or dreamscaping. That being said, a mage engaged in true meditation is oblivious to his surroundings until his own willful exit. * Meditation draws the least amount of essence, with legends of mages staying in meditation for weeks. Most who attempt this starve to death. It’s incredibly easy to be lost in one’s own mind, and the potential for psychological damage whilst exploring the mental plane is great. Example: The suave man would look around the smoking room he inhabited. It was dimly let, musky, with incense abound, but it was comforting in a way. He would rise to his feet, venturing forth through the door, greeted by the immaterial void. He would step out into the void, certain every step would lead to a plunge into the unknown; yet stone always stood where he stood. He would turn back to the smoking room one last time, waving goodbye to an old friend, before closing his eyes and taking a final step into the void. Societal Stigma First and foremost, it must be established that mages are not accepted within most human society. Lysterism views magic, especially necromancy, as heretical. Most villages have undergone a religious revival as a result of priests living among commoners in the wake of the Civil War. Rest assured, the angry mob will probably reach your door before any lawman at the slightest whiff of magic in most communities. Numeria officially forbids practicing magic, and to practice magic, possess magical paraphernalia, and to collude with mages can often result in punishment by death. Few mages dare tempt the law, and simply live elsewhere or in seclusion. Yurlin does not allow magic within its borders, but lacks the manpower and infrastructure necessary to enforce anti-magic laws. It is rumored some mages live in Yurlin, hiding their practice in secrecy. It is unknown whether the Robber Baron of Seldyne tolerates mages within his bandit ranks. Then again, bandits tend to be a superstitious lot, and few would pass on the opportunity to stab another robed snob. Who knows, they might even collect a bounty for it. Equally, the Robber Baron isn't known to be the most morally concerned man; it's possible he sees magic as a useful, illegal tool for his plans. Even within the wider mage community itself, there is discrimination against other mages: practicers of Arcana Nefasta - in particular necromancy - are often looked down upon or outright banished from magic circles. They are not as likely to actively hunt and kill these mages, however. Titles and Nicknames There are different colloquial classifications for what practicers of arcana are referred to by both the common man and other mages. These are not "official" and are used informally. * Mage: The most common name for practicers of magic amongst the people of Numeria. Although it isn't a derogatory term, peasants tend to say it with scorn. * Arcanists: The term most preferred by practicers of magic themselves. Derives directly from the theory of Arcana. * Sorcerer/sorceress: Used to refer to more powerful arcanists, or just arcanists who are highly esteemed in the magic community. * Witch: The derogatory term used by the general public in spite to refer to practicers of magic. If you attend a lynching, it's likely you'll hear this chanted as a mage is executed. "Witch" actually refers to both males and females. * Weavers: Used to refer specifically to practicers of dreamscaping and farseeing, however it's also used as an umbrella term for users of Meta Arcana. References a tapestry, and 'weaving' on it not just past history, but the present and future. * '''Druids: '''References the mages found in some tribal communities, who have learnt through oral means such as the passing down of knowledge.